As Park City dug out, parking situation deteriorated

As Park City tried to dig out of the recent snowstorms, and large crowds of skiers arrived to enjoy the new snow, the parking situation quickly deteriorated.

Park City Police Department logs show there were problems in numerous places across the city, providing a detailed look at issues from Old Town, to Prospector, to Thaynes Canyon and other neighborhoods.

The snowstorm was one of the largest in recent years and it struck as holiday crowds were headed to Park City. Snowplows made their rounds, pushing the snow from the road surface toward the curb. That shrunk travel lanes and made it difficult for vehicles to pass if there were cars parked on the sides of the road.

"All the roads are narrowing because of the amount of snow plowed," said Jay Randall, a Police Department sergeant.

The shrinking travel lanes were of concern to the authorities since it would have been difficult for an emergency vehicle like a fire truck to pass in some places.

Police Department logs between Dec. 21 and Dec. 27 noted upward of 40 parking-related problems, many more than is typical. Randall said some of the issues occurred when people from out of town left vehicles in no-parking zones. The red-painted curbs were covered with snow in some places, he said. Other people parked vehicles where they partially blocked driveways, he said.

"A lot of the markings are covered by snow. People are looking for a place to park and can’t see any red curb," Randall said.

Some of the reports to the police included:

on Sunday, Dec. 27 at 1:47 p.m., someone told dispatchers numerous cars were parked illegally along the 600 block of Woodside Avenue, making it difficult for drivers.

on Saturday, Dec. 26 at 5:50 p.m., two vehicles were parked in a location where they blocked a driveway. The call was logged somewhere along Park Avenue. Earlier that day, at a little after 4 p.m., the police received a complaint from the 900 block of Park Avenue that cars were double parked. There was snow on both sides of the roadway, the police were told.

on Friday, Dec. 25 at 2:43 p.m., a car was reportedly left parked in the middle of the road on Deer Valley Loop. The snow prevented drivers from getting around the car, the police were told.

On Wednesday, Dec. 23, meanwhile, the police logged five parking problems in a 15-minute span starting at 2:26 p.m. on Sidewinder Drive and Prospector Avenue.

Other streets where problems were reported included Hillside Avenue, American Saddler Drive, Main Street and Little Kate Road.

Randall said drivers should make sure their vehicles are not blocking driveways, sidewalks or fire hydrants when they park.

"Common sense is before you take your key out of the ignition, look around," Randall said.

The owner of Park City Towing said there was an increase in tows after the snowstorms. Most of the vehicles were removed from parking lots at condominium complexes or commercial properties, Dave Belcher said. He also said Park City Towing removed problematic vehicles from public streets. Snowstorms typically result in a 20 percent increase in tows over a normal period, he said.

"You have a parking issue without snow," Belcher said about Park City.

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